Improvement in horse hay-rakes



AJOHN K. oNiniL, or KINGSTON, NEW YORK.

=Letters Patent No. 99,939, dated February 15,1870.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K.ONEIL, of Kingston, in the county of Ulster,and State of New York, have invented an improved Horse Hay-Rake; and Ido hereby declare that the following-is a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference lbeing had to the accompanying drawings making partof this speciiication,

Figure 1 being a top view of a horse hay-rake con strueted with myimprovements.

Figure 2, a longitudinal vertical section thereof, in airplane indicatedby the line :e x, iig. 1.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both figures.

The rake is mounted on wheels A A, upon the axle B of which are securedblocks a, a, whereto the bars or heads C G of the rake-teeth D D areseverally pivoted around a pivot rod or rods, 11. j

In order to allow the rake-teeth D D to yield separately on striking anobstruction, I joint the bars() O at points d d, preferably at a,shorter distance from the upper ends c e of the rake-teeth than thelength of the said teeth extend, and I cover the jointsby springs E E,which are secured upon the upper sides of the bars, most properlyextending the greater part ofthe length of the said bars, and havingtheir forward ends rigidly attached to the main parts of the bars byscrews ff, or their equivalent, while the rear ends thereof, overlappingthe short jointed pieces c c of the bars, are provided .withlongitudinal slots, g g, that play on screws or bolts hh, driven intothe said jointed pieces.

The joints of the bars at d d are of such form, as shown at el, orotherwise, that the bars cannot bend downward beyond their proper form',as shown in g.

2, but that they can bend freely upward, having only the force of thesprings E E- to resist them. This' force of the springs should besufcient to hold the raketeeth rmly, and Without yielding, to theirwork, as

long as only the hay resists their advancement, and

yield only to a real obstruction. By thus rendering the springs inactiveexcept when an obstruction overcomes their force, an important advantageis gained over springs which continually act on the teeth, and yield inproportion to the resistance of the hay as well as to obstructions, and,for the same reason, over raketeeth or bars which are elastic inthemselyes.

The form which the springs assume in yielding is indicated clearly iniig. 2 by dotted lines.l

The slots g g allow the required iiexure of the bars, and at the sametime, iu connection with the screws or bolts h h and the rigidattachment of the forward ends of the springs to the main bars, hold theraketeeth firmly against lateral yielding.

The location ofthe joints l d so near to therake-teeth causes a rapidchange of the angle of the teeth in yielding, so that though whenrunning they in'cline forward nearly in a horizontal direction, theyrapidly change to a vertical position, or evento an inclinationback-ward from a vertical line, and thus quickly and easily freethemselves from obstructions. rlhis is a valuable feature of theinvention. I am thus enabled to give elasticity 'and facility ofyielding to obstructions, to raketeeth running on the ground nearly inhorizontal posiiig. 2, particularly at the rear ends.' The purpose isthus I easily and well accomplished.

The rake-teeth are held down to their work together by means of across-bar, G, which is pivoted by arms 7i: k around the pivot ,rod 11 ofthe teeth-bars.- From this cross-bar curved bolts'll extend downwardinto and through the teeth-bars, as represented; and in order that thebars may have room and capability ofrisingseparately to acertainextentfwhen yielding to an obstruction, as shown by dotte'dlines in iig.2, there is a certain distance between the cross-bar and the teethbarsfor the reception of coiled springs, mm,which will yield and allow theteeth-bars lto playupward on their bolts l l, while the other barsremain pressed down to their work. This cross-bar also serves, by meansof the curved bolts l l, with heads below the teeth-bars,A

to lift all therake-teeth simultaneouslyfrom the ground when required.The mechanism for raising and lowering the cross-bar is connectedtherewith by means of arms n n, projecting upward from the'pivoted arms7c k, and connecting bars or rods p p, extending forward to vibratoryarms 1' lr, which project upward from the shaft s of a treadle, I,situated at a proper position in front of the drivers seat, H. Thistreadle extends both above and below its shaft, so thatthe feet of thedriver may act either to Iraise the rake-teeth by pressing against theupper end of the treadle, or to hold the rake-teeth down totheirworkbyvpressing against the lower end of the treadle. Pinstt project fromthe sides of the treadle, as shown, 'on which to rest the feet incontrolling the rake.

In addition to the foot-treadle for raising and-lowering the rake-teeth,a hand-lever, L, is employed for thesame purpose, it being pivoted at uto the side of he driver-s seat, and connected by a rod, fu, with one ofthe bars or rods p p, as shown. This lever is generally used inconnection with the trcadle I, the action upon it by drawing back withthe arm,while that upon the treadle is by pressing forward with thefeet, to raise the rake-teeth from the ground, being very advantagenusto the operator .in applying his strength, since one action bracesthe'otber.

A springoatcb, M, being attached to a crossbar,w, between the thills N Nof the rake, and catching over the treadle `Iwhen the rake-teeth arecompletely raised, serves to hold the same up when required. It isreadily detached by the foot. Any equivalent device for the purpose maybe employed.

Any other 'form or arrangement of springs which will full the samepurpose may be used instead of the at springs E E. So, also, the. jointsd d may be constructed or produced in any equivalent manner.

What-I claim as my'invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

i The jointed teeth-bars C O, substantially as and fot the purposeherein specified. l

Also, the downwardly curved njointed teeth-bars C Witnesses:

Jos. BROWN, D. J. BROWN.

C, in combination with nearly horizontal rake-teeth D

